Review: Larga bags

One major consideration when planning a bike tour is choosing what bag to bring. If you were to look at bike touring blogs and cycling specific online shops, there is a huge range of options to choose from: rear and front racks with panniers, frame bags, saddlebags, handlebar bags, bike trailers, etc. etc. Time and location are two major factors when choosing the right bag. Traveling a remote area over a period of several months would usually mean carrying more things than a highly populated week-long trip.

For our two week trip across SE Asia, we thought it would be too cumbersome to bring panniers. There was the hassle of finding a rack that was compatible with our bikes and then shelling out more money to find panniers. We wanted to make this trip as budget-friendly as possible. 

I was scouring online for possible bag options. Little did I know that Pen, fresh from her Northern Vietnam trip earlier this year, was already hard at work developing a bag that was not only lightweight but was also versatile enough for any hardtail mountain bike. 

Meet Larga packs: a set of minimalist bags that need no racks. They connect to your bikes saddle and handlebars by straps so all you need to do is loop them through and clip them on.

Meet Larga. Your new best friend for all your bike adventures.

There are three bags in this set. They all have similar features: lightweight, water-resistant and come in a cute gray-neon green color scheme. The first is your main bag, which connect to the seatpost and saddle, and has a 30L capacity. Place your belongings in a dry bag then pack them in the main bag. Use the compression straps at the side to tighten the bag, then finally use the third middle compression strap for additional security. Why all the compression straps? These keep the pack closer to the bike and prevent it from swaying and or sagging. To attach it to the bike, wrap the two velcro loops around the seatpost . Then finally, loop the two mini straps through your saddle's rails, clip them on and compress.

Main bag which attaches to your seatpost and saddle rails

The second bag is a compression sack, which can hold up to 20L. The second bag comes with a harness which you will use to attach to the handlebars Again, stuff your belongings in a dry bag, stuff them in the compression sack, then compress. Wrap the harness around the sack and compress the loops. Wrap the velcro straps around the stem/headset and clip through the handlebars.

Handlebar bag with harness

The third bag is a quick access pouch/purse. I love that it comes with a thick reflective stripe across its front. Stuff this bag with your essentials: bike tools, energy bars, lock, passport, wallet, camera, phone, etc. The purse is huge! It's big enough to fit a packable water jacket and leave space for more. There are quick(er) access mesh pockets in front and zipped sleeves inside for more essentials. Clip them on the remaining straps of the handlebar bag.

Quick access pouch for your essentials.

So how did these bags perform? We took them on a test ride to Banaue- Sagada the week before we left for Vietnam just to see how they would do. And here's what I noticed: Packing right matters.  A LOT. I am a horrible packer and tend to just throw things inside my bag. As long as the bag is shut, I don't mind. The first time I used the main bag, I stuffed everything inside, and shut it. When I attached it to the seatpost, the bag started sagging towards the tires. Uh oh. I unpacked, and tried to stuff as much as I could at the lower half of the bag and compressed the bag as much as possible. This worked wonders as I had no more issues with sagging. 

While the saddlebag was meant to be a main bag, if overstuffed, sagging can still occur. This caused a major problem as we hit some rough patches on the road. The bag started to bounce up and down, eventually hitting our tires. Friction from the tires caused some tears on the bag, so we had to remedy that with duct tape. This might be an issue if we had to bring more things, such as tents and sleeping bags. I ended up using the handlebar bag as my main bag, and just stuffed the main bag with the not-so-essentials. If you don't have time to repack, a quick fix would be to cross the loops so that you clip on the opposite side. Or slide the straps through the rails as well, then cross and clip the loops.

Cris-crossed straps for more compression

Once packed right, the bags were awesome. There were no handling issues whatsoever. As soon as the bags were strapped on, they didn't make the bike feel heavy at all. Even when pedaling up the mountainous terrain of the Cordis, I never felt like there was an extra load on my bike. 

The straps can be confusing. Perhaps the straps could be color coded so that it would be easier to identify which straps go where. This might compromise the overall aesthetic of the bag though. The product labels were of some help, so it could be a good idea to always keep the labels handy. After our Banaue-Sagada trip, I had to practice clipping the straps on and off several times at home before they became second nature. 

Harness straps: 1 pair attaches to your handlebars,
1 pair for the compression sack (not seen), 2 pairs for the front pouch

With that said, there is no perfect bike bag. Bike compatibility will always be an issue. Unless you spend thousands of dollars for a bike touring-specific bike. When using these packs, make sure your seatpost is high enough (at least 8" clearance) and that your saddle has long enough rails. Because my bike frame was too big for me, my saddle was in a very forward position. Because of the forward adjustment, there wasn't enough clearance at the back for the straps to pass cleanly through. The straps could still be passed, but not without some snags. 

Make sure your seat rails are long enough.
Cris-cross the straps through the seat rails for extra-extra compression!

While looping them may be a bit more time-consuming than the easy clip-and-go system of most panniers, Larga packs have an edge over panniers. If traveling to places where the wheels need to be removed (such as small buses or vehicles with limited cargo space), the strap system gives the Larga bag a huge advantage. No other special equipment was needed. There were also extra straps at the harness and main bag so that they can be easily carried when off the bike. Also, these bags are compatible with most bikes, provided there is enough clearance. This saves you the hassle of looking for a rack.

Advantages:

Lightweight

Aesthetically pleasing (Loving the gray and neon combo!)

Room for lots of storage in the purse/front pouch 

Inexpensive

Disadvantages:

Straps can be confusing

Saddle/seatpost bag can sag and rub against tires if overstuffed/not packed properly

Overall verdict:

These are perfect for lightweight packers: pack light, pack right, make sure your bike fits you! For those who want to try bike touring but are afraid to spend on racks and panniers, Larga packs are an excellent starter kit.

Pedal away!

Some photos from Larga Travel and Adventure.